On tap at T-25 weekend at RR. Pours a somewhat hazy dark orange color with a very small white head. Scent is absolutely fantastic. Very sour aromas with a good amount of funk. Some nice oaky aromas with tart apricot. I just learned what a pluot was, so I guess the apricot makes sense. Nice stone fruit aromas with some lovely barrel characteristics. Taste is just as fantastic! Great stone fruit flavors with intense sourness. If they had Temptation on draft, I would be able to do a side by side, but I'm almost positive this one is more sour. Funky yeasty flavors with nice oak and fruit. Mouthfeel is dry, light, and puckering. Drinkability is very high. Overall, one of RR's best beers. Wish they would bottle this one. Had it side by side with T-25, and although I really enjoyed both, Compunction is the better beer IMO.

Beer pours a hazy golden orange with a thin white head. Smell is incredible - it's one of those sour/vinous beers that really gets my mouth watering. Flavor is fantastic as well. I don't get a ton of fruit, but the wine characteristics are excellent and it's very sour and awesome. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and quite nice. Overall, this is yet another awesome wine barrel aged sour from Russian River. These guys consistently roll out the best sours in the U.S. and this is another one in that vein.

Had this on draft last week at Russian River Brewing Co. listed on their board as "Blonde Ale with Pluots (Apricot/Plum hybrid) aged in Chardonnay barrels . 5.80% ABV / 1.048 O.G / 25 BUs" for $4 -poured into a tulip glass.

A: Pours a slightly hazy blonde/apricot hue with a decent head that dissipates quickly leaving a ton of lacing in its tracks.

S: Smells like the forest - piney woody and earthy (from the chard barrels no doubt), some funk and fermented fruit.

T: Wow - this one's unique! Fresh cut lumber - sweet resinous earthy pine up front big time (from the barrels, not from the hop), some sour funk that mixes very well with the woody aspects, there's some peppery citrus in the mix as well, and right when you think the pluots were a waste of time, they come through strong at the end and linger in the aftertaste. Tastes like Nor-Cal for sure!

M: Light/medium-bodied, crisp, well carbonated lending the the dryness, extremely refreshing leaving a lingering lactic bitterness that is nice.

D: Extremely easy to drink. If you don't like the flavor of wood in your ale, you won't be diggin this one and may get sick of the dry oaky presence like my buddy did with his. I absolutely love it though and could session these no problem.

Growler thanks to Huhzubendah, thanks a lot for this Matt. This is my 500th review, and a fittingly rare beer to have for this review. We all bow to the Russian river sours.

The beer pours a color similar almost to an ipa with an orange semi hazy hue, but the head is very bubbly not fluffy white at all. Sme lacing left on the sides, and some bubbles in the body of the beer clinging to the glass.

The smell is very nice, a great blend of berries, stone fruits like apricot or peach and funkiness, a very nice aroma that I expect from Russian river sours. clean and not overpowering.

The beer is quite sour, but has nice flavor to back it up. High acidity in the front, almost citrus like and then a biscuit type malt center and an abrupt finish. Great fruit notes in the flavor, peach and apricot, some berries.

The feel is tart and nice, almost like a very lemony tea with a little carbonation in the feel.

Tried this on tap at Dark Lord Day compliments of emerge077. I love Russian River and these wild sour ales are pretty much kick ass. Drank from a nice classy plastic cup (the way Vinnie intended).

Appearance- Pours a hazy golden yellow with a small bright white head that sticks around for quite a while. Leaves a decent cap and collar and some good lacing although it's hard to tell in on these stupid plastic cups.Smell- Like you'd expect plenty of vinegary goodness stings the nostrils. Tart and fruity just the sharpness of the nose makes my mouth water. Light melon fruits such as watermelon and cantaloupe are the first thing that come to mind (it's hiding under all that twang but it's there!). Lightly funky and coarse (not as much as some) but not the focus like some other Russian River brews.Taste- Wow, the smell prepared me for what was about to come but damn! Super sour and tart with a vinegar splash that puckers the lips. I thought it would be a bit fruitier but the amount of Brett in this badboy covers most of it up. It gets better as my mouth adjusts to the tart and the picks up a bit more. Something reminiscent of pomegranate and apricot are noticeable but all in all the acid dominates.Mouthfeel- Medium to light body with sharp aggressive carbonation.Drinkability- At first the beer is a little tart and is definitely a sipper. Once you adjust and the nuances begin to appear though it's a fantastic brew. Probably the most sour/tart brew that I've ever tasted and I loved it. Really tasty and a great beer that I'm glad I got to enjoy while waiting for my Dark Lord.

T/M: Loads of sour cherries in the front. Sourness is massive. Very tart cherries, cranberries, raspberries. Vinegar is nearly overpowering. Body is light and feels very watery. Mild bitterness in the back. Gherkins pickles keeps popping into mind. It actually makes my mouth pucker a bit and then water to try and dilute it.

D: I haven't had too many soured beers but this is by leaps and bounds the most sour. I made it about half way through the sample and had to call it quits. The vinegar and sourness just intensified far too much. I appreciate what RR and all these breweries are doing with sours but I just don't think I'll even develop a taste for them. There have been styles that I've 'not liked so much' in the past but none that I have not at least come around to and none that I continually can't finish.